Dictionary

rainwater en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English reinwater, from Old English reġnwæter, equivalent to rain + water. Cognate with West Frisian reinwetter, Dutch regenwater, German Regenwasser, Swedish regnvatten.

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) Rainfall.
   • In early December, as rainwaters had started the monthlong process of flooding mines and washing out rail lines, workers lined up before 1 p.m. at an easy-to-miss storefront depot in Mackay. 2011 December 1, Joel Kirkland, “Australia's Record Rains Squeeze World Coal Supplies as Scientists Study Climate Pattern”, in The New York Times:
2. (uncountable, usually) Water (for a house, etc.) sourced from rain which has not joined a spring, stream or river, pond, lake or sea.
   • Constructed of hard flint stone, which came as ballast from England and is now painted coral white, the house has a fishpond, or catchment, roof, dating from 1788, to collect rainwater. 1987 January 18, Paula Deitz, “ISLAND LIVING, ENGLISH STYLE”, in The New York Times:

Forms

Deriveds

rainwater goods

Translations (45)

ja 雨水 (water sourced from rain) · ta மழைநீர் (water sourced from rain) · cs dešťovka (water sourced from rain) · ar مِيَاه اَلْأَمْطَار (water sourced from rain) · tpw amana (water sourced from rain) · vi nước mưa (water sourced from rain) · ja 雨水 (water sourced from rain) · sk dažďová voda (water sourced from rain) · cmn 雨水 (water sourced from rain) · gd uisge-adhair (water sourced from rain) · bg дъждовна вода (water sourced from rain) · ko 빗물 (water sourced from rain) · de Regenwasser (water sourced from rain) · ta மேனீர் (water sourced from rain) · hu esővíz (water sourced from rain) · nb regnvann (water sourced from rain) · mr पावसाचे पाणी (water sourced from rain) · cs dešťová voda (water sourced from rain) · da regnvand (water sourced from rain) · alt јаҥмырдыҥ суузы (water sourced from rain) · is regnvatn (water sourced from rain) · hi वर्षाजल (water sourced from rain) · es agua llovediza (water sourced from rain) · nl regenwater (water sourced from rain) · mk дождовница (water sourced from rain) · khb ᦓᧄᧉᦚᦳᧃ (water sourced from rain) · pl deszczówka (water sourced from rain) · ru дождева́я вода́ (water sourced from rain) · uk дощова́ вода́ (water sourced from rain) · sv regnvatten (water sourced from rain) · sk dažďovica (water sourced from rain) · es agua de lluvia (water sourced from rain) · ang reġnwæter (water sourced from rain) · tyv чаъс суу (water sourced from rain) · gl auga de choiva (water sourced from rain) · yi רעגן־וואַסער (water sourced from rain) · fr eaux de pluie (water sourced from rain) · ta மழைத்தண்ணீர் (water sourced from rain) · id air hujan (water sourced from rain) · fi sadevesi (water sourced from rain) · tr yağmur suyu (water sourced from rain) · it acqua piovana (water sourced from rain) · ko 우수 (water sourced from rain) · mi wai ua (water sourced from rain) · pt água da/de chuva (water sourced from rain)